Featured Christ Cannot Be Preached Apart From Doctrine

I am not disagreeing with you; it is indeed impossible to preach Christ without introducing doctrine of some sort, but I draw your attention to Colossians 1:28, 'Whom we preach,' and 2 Timothy 1:12, 'For I know whom I have believed.' He does not say, "I know what I have believed. I have studied all the doctrines so that I could answer questions on the subject of Jesus Christ on Mastermind." No, no! We look to Christ, to Him bleeding and dying on the cross, and believe that it was for our sake that He suffered, and cast our eternal destiny not on our intellectual knowledge of Christology, but on the Man. Ecce homo; 'Behold the Man!"

The sermons of Spurgeon are particularly fine specimens of the preaching of Christ and Him crucified.

 

There's more to the Bible than just Christ and him crucified...though it is the central and underlying theme. I Cor 2:2, 2 Tim 4:2, I Cor 9:16....And I did take note that you said it was impossible to preach without introducing "some" doctrine. If we as Christians don't know our doctrine, what the Bible teaches on them, then we're not really good for anyone or anything. The doctrines still have Christ as the central them, and they're still teaching him, and him crucified.

 

"I Am The Resurrection" John 11:25

PREACH IT!

DOCTRINAL DIVINITY Book I
OF GOD, HIS WORD, NAMES, NATURE, PERFECTIONS, AND PERSONS

Chapter 1:Of the Being of God
Chapter 2: Of the Holy Scriptures
Chapter 3: Of the Names of God
Chapter 4: Of the Nature of God

• Of the Spirituality of God
• Of the Simplicity of God

Chapter 5: Of the Attributes of God

• Of the Immutability of God

Chapter 6: Of the Infinity of God

• Of the Omnipresence of God
• Of the Eternity of God

Chapter 7: Of the Life of God
Chapter 8: Of the Omnipotence of God
Chapter 9: Of the Omniscience of God
Chapter 10: Of the Wisdom of God
Chapter 11: Of the Will of God, and it's
Sovereignty
Chapter 12: Of the Love of God
Chapter 13: Of the Grace of God
Chapter 14: Of the Mercy of God
Chapter 15: Of the Longsuffering of God
Chapter 16: Of the Goodness of God
Chapter 17: Of the Anger of God

• Of the Wrath of God

Chapter 18: Of the Hatred of God
Chapter 19: Of the Joy of God
Chapter 20: Of the Holiness of God
Chapter 21: Of the Justice of God
Chapter 22: Of the Veracity of God
Chapter 23: Of the Faithfulness of God
Chapter 24: Of the Sufficiency of God

• Of the Perfection of God

Chapter 25: Of the Blessedness of God
Chapter 26: Of the Unity of God
Chapter 27: Of a Plurality in the Godhead
Chapter 28: Of the Personal Relations in Deity
Chapter 29: Of the Distinct Personality and
Deity of the Father
Chapter 30: Of the Distinct Personality and
Deity of the Son
Chapter 31: Of the Distinct Personality and
Deity of the Holy Spirit

DOCTRINAL DIVINITY Book II
OF THE ACTS AND WORKS OF GOD

Chapter 1: Of the Internal Acts of God, and of his
Decrees in general
Chapter 2: Of the Special Decrees of God, particularly
of Election
Chapter 3: Of the Rejection of some Angels and some Men
Chapter 4: Of the Union of the Elect to God
Chapter 5: Of Adoption as an Immanent Act

• Of Justification as an Immanent Act

Chapter 6: Of the Everlasting Council
Chapter 7: Of the Everlasting Covenant of Grace
Chapter 8: Of the Part the Father took in the Covenant
Chapter 9: Of the Part the Son of God took in the Covenant
Chapter 10: Of Christ as the Covenant Head of the Elect
Chapter 11: Of Christ the Surety of the Covenant
Chapter 12: Of the Love of God
Chapter 13: Of Christ the Testator of the Covenant
Chapter 14: Of the Concern the Spirit has in the Covenant
Chapter 15: Of the Properties of the Covenant
Chapter 16: Of the Complacency and Delight the Divine
Persons had in Each Other From Everlasting

DOCTRINAL DIVINITY Book III
OF THE EXTERNAL WORKS OF GOD

Chapter 1: Of Creation in General
Chapter 2: Of the Creation of Angels
Chapter 3: Of the Creation of Man
Chapter 4: Of the Providence of God
Chapter 5: Of the Confirmation of the Elect Angels, Of the
Fall of the Non-elect Angels
Chapter 6: Of the Honour and Happiness of Man in Innocence
Chapter 7: Of the Law given to Adam, and Covenant with him
Chapter 8: Of the Sin and Fall of our First Parents
Chapter 9: Of the Nature, Aggravations, and sad Effects of the
Sin of Man
Chapter 10: Of the Imputation of Adam's Sin to all his Posterity
Chapter 11: Of the Corruption of Human Nature
Chapter 12: Of Actual Sins and Transgressions
Chapter 13: Of the Punishment of Sin

 

DOCTRINAL DIVINITY Book IV
OF THE ACTS OF THE GRACE OF GOD TOWARDS AND UPON HIS ELECT IN TIME

Chapter 1: Of the Manifestation and Administration of the Covenant
of Grace
Chapter 2: Of the Covenant of Grace in the Patriarchal State
Chapter 3: Of the Covenant of Grace under the Mosaic
Dispensation
Chapter 4: Of the Covenant of Grace in the Times of David
and the Prophets
Chapter 5: Of the Abrogation of the Old Covenant
Chapter 6: Of the Law of God
Chapter 7: Of the Gospel

DOCTRINAL DIVINITY Book V
OF THE GRACE OF CHRIST IN HIS STATES OF HUMILIATION AND EXALTATION,
AND IN THE OFFICES EXERCISED BY HIM IN THEM

Chapter 1: Of the Incarnation of Christ
Chapter 2: Of Christ's State of Humiliation
Chapter 3: Of the Active Obedience of Christ
Chapter 4: Of the Passive Obedience of Christ
Chapter 5: Of the Burial of Christ
Chapter 6: Of the Resurrection of Christ
Chapter 7: Of the Ascension of Christ
Chapter 8: Of the Session of Christ at the Right Hand of God
Chapter 9: Of the Prophetic Office of Christ
Chapter 10: Of the Priestly Office of Christ
Chapter 11: Of the Intercession of Christ
Chapter 12: Of Christ's Blessing his People as a Priest
Chapter 13: Of the Kingly Office of Christ
Chapter 14: Of the Spiritual Reign of Christ

 

*Jonah 3:4-5*

Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

It is astounding how God can use the most terrible witness who speaks minimally, yet God saves people despite it all.

Yes, doctrine is needed for growth from infancy to maturity, but God used the shortest sermon ever to save the people of Nineveh.

 

I/we don't know what else Jonah may have shared. We do know what little is recorded.

The Holy Spirit Saved John the Baptist in his mother's womb.

What did He USE?
The Word and the Gospel Spoken, we presume.

and how did He Cause him to Repent and Believe to Be Saved?
by Giving him Repentance and Belief, which is the New Birth, from above, we presume.

We"presume" these, why? Because you must be Born Again.
...

We are 'called' to Preach, "Repentance toward God and Faith in Jesus Christ"
in its simplest form, per the O.P.'s concern, I believe.
If a person is on an Island, and all they find is John 3:16, will believing that save them?

Acts 20:21

“Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks,
repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”


Mark 1:15

"Repent and Believe The Gospel"

from: If a person is on an Island, and all they find is John 3:16, revisited.

 

No. Jonah did the minimum of what God called him to do. God did not tell him to teach the Ninevites the law of God. He only told him to go and declare.
God did the rest.
God, by his ordination gave 120 more years. We see in Jeremiah 18:7-11 that God deals with nations in a similar way.

If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.’

 

The reason Jonah did not want to disciple the Ninevites or even do more than the bare minimum is the same reason why many will not go to the homosexual community and evangelize or disciple. It's called hatred, bigotry, racism, and prejudice.
Like Jonah, we don't really want to see those we hate come to faith.
Jonah is us and we are Jonah.
Now compare Jesus to Jonah. Jesus motivation is pure love. Jonah's motivation is pure disgust.

The point of this thread, however, is whether God can save without doctrine or theology. My example, to say yes God can, is Jonah's message. He said so little, yet God graciously took that little and saved a city.

 

Ken, this is a huge supposition. It makes no sense that sailors, who spent their life on the sea, would travel hundreds of miles inland to Nineveh.
Now, it is apparent that Jonah must have talked to the sailors after he was vomited back out of the fish at some point. Otherwise he could not have recorded how these pagan fishermen came to faith and worshipped God right after Jonah was swallowed up. Jonah must have seen them later in order to hear their story, but there is zero indication they came with him to Nineveh.

We know Jonah was a popular prophet in Israel because we read in 2 Kings 14 that he prophesied that the Northern Kingdom would expand it's territory and regain lands lost. This made Jonah a positive prophet. Then God took his celebrity and told him to preach destruction of Nineveh to the Ninevites. He wanted no part in that precisely because he knew God would be merciful if the Ninevites repented. He would then have to explain to all Israel why he helped out the Assyrians. Can you imagine the social pressure and change in celebrity status that would evoke? Jonah wanted nothing to do with that change. So, he ran away.
Jonah indicates no one is with him at Nineveh. He goes 1/3rd of the way in. He gives his one sentence sermon and he walks out, hoping for utter annihilation in 40 days. Thus he waits. He gets furious with God for being merciful and that's the end of the narrative.
No theology was preached, yet the message God required was preached and over 100,000 people repented.
The point. God can save, even when no theology is shared.
Now, is that the norm? No. Is there a need for training in righteousness afterward? Yes.
Call to repentance, first.
God moves, second.
Training in righteousness, third.

There is no indication that Jonah ever attempted the third part.

 

I am referring to all humanity, all Christians. Jonah is...us.

 

Nothing funny about this comment @Salty. You are far more like Jonah than you might want to admit. So am I. Jonah wrote to show us our prejudice and Jesus lived to show us God's mercy